Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Sauce

This is quite possibly my favorite sauce I have made so far. It goes so well when tossed on pasta, but also makes a killer dip for roasted potatoes. Plus it’s really fun to make, especially if you have an open flame. I used my gas stove to roast my pepper marshmallow style, but you can also roast your pepper in an oven.

I posted the full recipe for this in my Instagram caption, but wanted to take the time to write it up for the blog after I saw that this was my most successful Instagram post to date. So, if you try it, do drop me a comment to let me know how it went.

Ingredients:

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup cashews ground into fine powder
• 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese*
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
• Salt & pepper to taste.

Method:

1. Roast the garlic. The fastest way is to place the cloves on a piece of aluminum foil with a dash of oil, then close the foil to create a pouch and roast at 350°F for 30 minutes.
2. Roast the red pepper. You can do this directly on the oven rack at 450°F for 30 minutes, or if you have a gas stove, roast the pepper over the flame until all sides are blackened. Allow the pepper to cool, then remove most of the charred bits, stem, core and seeds.
3. Add the red pepper, garlic, cream cheese, cashew powder, oil, tomato paste (if using), salt and pepper to a blender and blend until very smooth.
4. Heat the sauce in the microwave or stove top before using.

*Substitution: In a pinch you can substitute cashew cream [1.5cups raw cashews soaked overnight then blended with 3/4 cup water], or unsweetened plant milk for a thinner sauce)